State Duma passes law on use of digital ruble by banks and implementation of universal QR code

MOSCOW. July 15 (Interfax) - The State Duma has approved a law at its third reading, according to which banks and merchants will gradually be added to the digital ruble platform and begin to use a universal QR payment code starting from September 1, 2026.

The draft bill, numbered 811008-8, was submitted to parliament by a group of deputies and senators in December 2024 and has been modified substantially since then.

Lawmakers proposed the mandatory use of the universal payment code, operated by JSC National Payment Card System (NPCS), and a phased process ultimately requiring banks to facilitate transactions in digital rubles. It will also be possible to use the universal QR code for transfers in digital rubles.

THE UNIVERSAL QR CODE

According to the new law, banks will begin to use the universal QR code starting from September 1, 2026.

"The credit organization or foreign bank branch which transfers money, providing clients with electronic payment methods and allowing information to be read in graphic form or otherwise and the details of the transfer to be received in electronic format or via a link, is obligated to provide clients with those details or the link to them through exclusive use of the universal payment code," the approved law reads.

The law also prohibits banks from charging clients for using the universal QR code and lays out technical requirements for banks to follow in terms of publishing the rules for connecting and the procedure for generating a code. The universal payment code is not mandatory for cross-border transfers.

THE DIGITAL RUBLE

Banks will be legally obliged to enable clients to conduct transactions in digital rubles, from September 1, 2026 for systemically important credit organizations and banks who have been classified as important on the payment services market, from September 1, 2027 for banks with a universal license and from September 1, 2028 for remaining banks.

RETAIL

As of September 1, 2026, merchants with annual revenue exceeding 120 million rubles will be required to accept payments in digital rubles, providing that they sign a contract on accepting electronic payments with a systemically important credit organization or bank which has been classified as important on the payment services market by January 1, 2026. From September 1, 2027, the same requirement will apply to merchants with annual revenue above 30 million rubles who have signed a contract with a systemically important credit organization, a bank which has been classified as important on the payment services market or a bank with a universal license. All other merchants with annual revenue of over 20 million rubles will be subject to the requirement from September 1, 2028.

The obligations under the draft law do not extend to merchants who work in areas without internet access or signal, as well as those with an annual revenue of less than 5 million rubles.